Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Low-Income Residents in California to Get Vouchers for Green Cars

Owning an automobile is expensive. Besides the initial cost, there is maintenance and the cost of gas. Although many people would like to buy more energy-efficient vehicles, it's out of reach for most low-income individuals and families. Until now.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has developed a program to help low-income people in California to buy fuel-efficient cars. The organization's business is air quality, but they recognize that although low-income people want to help, they just can't afford the sticker price on fuel-efficient cars. So, the agency designed a voucher system that awards vouchers worth at least $2,500 with no limit to help poor people purchase automobiles that are good for the environment.

Under the new program, low-income families can choose either an electric car or hybrid that uses both electric and gas. A family of two could receive a voucher that covers the full price of an electric car, and a family of three could receive up to $18,000 in voucher value to buy a used hybrid automobile.

Why is CARB doing this? Clean air is their goal. They want to increase the number of green vehicles on its roads and reduce the amount of CO2 emissions that are polluting the environment. The program hopes to provide low-income families more opportunities to go green and save money in the long run by paying less in fuel costs. Residents may contact the CARB for more information on how to qualify.